Gateway Bride? Free Vacation? I’m not that stupid
// April 23rd, 2008 // Life and Times, Relationships, Travel
You know, I thought that something sounded a little strange when Michaele called me last night and told me that she got a call that we had won a free vacation to the Bahamas. She didn’t have a lot of info, but I figured since they’d called her at work, she might not have had time to talk too long. But what info she could tell me, just sounded a little odd. I should always go with my first instinct.
Like why, if we won, did we have to make a trip to Joplin to pick up the information? Just mail it to us. And she said that if we couldn’t make it this weekend, they’d be back through in three months. What’s that you say? Why do they make rounds? I told Michaele to call them back this morning and ask a few more questions, what she found out seems to have confirmed what I thought.
The reason that we had to go to Joplin was because that was where the presentation was that we had to go to. But we shouldn’t worry, there would be other couples there too. Sounding scammy? It should. Nothing like this comes free, and there isn’t a company on the planet that’s going to be giving away bucket loads of free trips every few months. According to the lady on the phone, we just had to go, listen to a small presentation, have a snack made for us, and answer a quick survey. In reality, it’s a sales pitch for worthless, $2500 cookware. But don’t take my word for it, read this forum thread. But don’t take their word for it, go look at the info at the Consumer Affairs site. This is just another version of the time share sale.
Here’s things as I have dug them up so far. Gateway Brides claims to be the parent company. I asked them straightforward who owns them, and was told no one. This from the lady that I called and talked to (and I might have embellished a little bit and said my profession involved law during the course of conversation). Not true. Actually, they appear to be a shell front of some kind for Royal Prestige (though I can’t confirm that they actually own Gateway Brides, but they’re sure as hell affiliated). The reason I say that is because they appear to be so far removed from the operation that the agent couldn’t answer any questions, deferring to “we just notify the people that they were selected. The presenters can answer your concerns.” Tax value of the trip? No clue. The names of the presenters? Unknown. Will they have a license on file for the drawing? Maybe. Is there any information online she could refer me to? No (a lie).
Bottom line, I should go to the presentation to get my answers. Right, how about no. Though to her credit, she sounded plenty nice, and thoroughly nervous after learning my “profession.” In reality, it appears that the trips are actually real. Even though she didn’t know of a website I could visit, there actually is a Gateway Brides site (or, depending on your locations, duplicate sites like RP Northeast, Inc. which clearly have the exact same origin). A domain that is clearly a direct marketing firm site, but one that also pointed me to V.I.P. Vacations NY. These people are essentially a vacation clearing house that deals cheap vacations to companies that then use them as an incentive. So, in theory, the trips are real. At least they were in 1985, when it looks like the picture above was taken of their president, one Vince Dima. At this point, visions of scenes from Glengarry GlenRoss are dancing in my head. Research on him reveals he’s bought a number of businesses, none of which are really related, like an ISP reseller and an insurance company. Here’s some other info, which seems to indicate that everything is pretty connected to him at the top.
YourNetPlus was originally founded in 1995, and was acquired and incorporated by President and CEO Vince Dima in 2000. Dima’s company, the 21st Century Group, owns a number of other businesses including a $30 million bridal registry business and a national vacation premium business. Taking over YourNetPlus, Dima says, was a way for his company to become involved in the Internet.
Continuing the trail, V.I.P. Vacations NY is connected to the Viva Resorts group. They own a number of resorts in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. They aren’t four or five star resorts as was told to us. In fact, the one in the Bahamas scores a poorly represented three stars. As I interpreted it, that particular review was a touch on the side of being a warning to stay away. Roving bees? Unkempt grounds? Exposed wiring? Is this somewhere you’d want to spend a honeymoon? And other info indicates that you might get hit with resort taxes, transportation fees, and surcharges during peak season.
These folks are clever, I’ll give them that. Each dangly appendage of the business seems to maintain an air of plausible deniability about them, and the interconnectedness seems to be set up that if you successfully deal through one part, another one is ready to pick up the loose ends. The presentation at 7:30PM runs about two hours (longer than they say by about double). By the time you’re done, you’re tired and just want to leave and are more susceptible to pressure. They also target engaged couples with the incentive of a “free honeymoon” and use scare tactics to make you afraid that you’ll be killing your future family with your pots and pans. You know what, if my pans will kill my family, at least they’ll die by cast iron deliciousness.
But, what to do? The cynical side of me says to go, and just use my sharp wit and stubbornness to ensure that we leave one free trip heavier, and nothing else. But that same side also says that they clearly know how to deal with people like me, since they have yet to be sued out of existence. I figure they either successfully con stupid people, or they get someone like me chasing my tail trying to beat them for the trip. Regardless, when the dust settles, they’re gone and not out anything for their trouble. I say that, because I can’t actually find a single firm case of someone actually getting the trip. While they might give you the voucher, I suspect they tack on hidden fees (besides paying for your own flight) and try to blackout date you to hell and back until the three year window is up.
So, be informed, and don’t buy in to it for a minute. Know what you’re getting into, and always remember free things seldom are.
55 Responses to “Gateway Bride? Free Vacation? I’m not that stupid”
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Elizabeth…..I’m not sure how Getaway bride came to being. We are not or use the phase getaway bride. Our company VIPVacationsNY has been in business since 1979. We have sent Hundreds of Thousands of Customers on vacation. We are not involved with timeshare …we offer a legit vacation voucher to the consumer. We believe in fair and honorable treatment for all our customers. All are welcome to call or email our office at anytime.
I got a call a few weeks ago from a lady from American Prestige and it is kind of the same thing that has been discussed here…The lady got my voicemail and left me a message and after i was done listening to it i thought it was a TOTAL scam…I called the lady back and she was saying how i had bee selected as well as a few other bride to be’s in Central Tx to win a free Bridal Package and all i had to do was my fiance and i had to show up for a 90 min presintation of there cookware (which actually was only an hr.) Well the guy was very nice and did a great job and my fiance at first did not want to attend and he was so intuned, and i might add that he is not stupid or a fool, before we went i talked to some of my friends and co workers and a few people had heard that that kind of deals are Legit, my boss has actually done it before and said it is real so we will see if my fiance and i recieve are cookware we bought in a week, the two free wedding bands we have a gift card for, our all inclusive 3 day 2 night vacation from Viva Wyndam Resorts and $1,000 worth in Grocery coupon =) I will let you know, If not i guess we will learn our lesson
Hey, just happened on your blog. Wanna say that I used to work for Hy Cite Corporation, the company that owns the Royal Prestige line of cookware and china. It’s a little like Amway or Kirby vacuum cleaners. The person owns and runs their own business, but they sell that specific product line – in this case Royal Prestige cookware. It’s not as tightly knit as a franchise situation would be. I don’t think Hy Cite has a ton of say in how the product distributors sell their products. Hy Cite does say, though, that you’re not allowed to claim that the cookware will cure cancer or Alzheimers. I guess there was a problem with that. I own a pan or theirs, and it’s not bad. I like my All Clad better though.
Hello. I just saw your blog when I was looking for a website for a trip voucher that I myself received.
I actually used to work for a cookware company (Celebrity China and Cookware) in Salt Lake City. I used to call the “lucky bride winners” of our drawing and get them to come in to a demo. I had the job for about two weeks before I couldn’t take it anymore. How did I get a job like that, you ask? I was a naive young engaged girl (only 18 at the time). We had gotten the very same call that I myself ended up making only a couple of years later. We went to the presentation, and we were stupid enough to buy the stuff. We bought a full $2500 cookware set and received a “$500 cutlery set” as an added bonus. (By the way, the cookware was not NEARLY as “fantastic and fabulous” as they lead you to believe and the cutlery… a $500 value? Give me a break. I’ve had better knives that I bought at Walmart for $15 a piece.) We also got the vacation voucher. It was for a cruise. We never redeemed it and lost the paper before we could. So, we were indebted to these people and I had to pay them back somehow. Hence, I worked for them.
When I got remarried only a few months ago (this time 27, not so young, and most definitely NOT naive), I received the same call from a different company. I knew what it was, and what they were going to do. I also knew I would get that voucher if I went. So, begrudgingly my husband-to-be went to the presentation with me. We got the paperwork for the vacation along with some other incentives. As we walked out, they asked us why we didn’t want to buy. I just told them “I know you only have these prices tonight only (yeah, right… until the next time they come around), but we just can’t do it right now because of the wedding costs. You understand.” And we left. Simple as that. They looked at us with mouths completely agape, but I didn’t care. I got what I came for. An hour and a half out of the house, and some free stuff.
I know there will be tacked on extra fees, but we’re still going to redeem the thing. I don’t care if it’s a bit-rate 3 star place. It’s free aside from a few fees. The extra fees won’t be as much as it would cost to pay for the whole “all-inclusive” trip on our own. I’ll have to bookmark this page and let you know how it went.
At any rate, thank you for this article. It was most certainly an interesting read and I hope it actually helps people in the future.
Dear All,
I posted on this site last October (2009) and was cleaning out my bookmarks and thought I would check up on the state of things. First, let me just say that after reading this site (and a few others like it), my fiance and I turned down the repeated “you’ve won something wonderful” offers and just did things the old-fashioned way. We got married in July, paid for our own honeymoon (on a budget), and are now happily married and more in love than I could have ever dreamed. Being married is the most magical, marvelous thing on the planet!
But I digress. My hope of this post was to mention a few things I’ve learned along the way:
1. We never even attended the bridal expo where we apparently “signed-up” to win this great honeymoon/cookware/etc. giveaway. I did sign-up for the expo online, but I didn’t end up going. When the lady called to tell me I had won, she specifically stated that they had selected my name (one of the special few, of course) from the people who had signed up at their booth at the recent expo in BlahBlahville. So she straight up lied. They got my information off of my online registration, which was clearly sold to this company. Be advised.
2. Although my husband and I are poor graduate students, who have managed a cross-country relationship for the last 4 years, that included planning our wedding and subsequent move (we are finally in the same location! Hooray!), we found ways to make it work. That means saving for our honeymoon and furnishing our house, among other things. Granted, we have been INCREDIBLY blessed by caring friends and family, many of whom gave us great wedding presents to help furnish said house (apartment, actually), but the point is that we didn’t end up needing the “free” prizes from “Gateway Bride”. And we certainly didn’t need the stress that it would have likely brought with it. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Brides, this is your special time — take a deep breath, relax, and know that life is just about to get so much more wonderful, “free” honeymoon or not.
3. Finally, thank you all for posting here. Although I was terribly bummed to find out that the whole deal was mostly a sham (I was soooo excited when the lady told me I had won… even though I knew she was lying about our entry and had been sold our info, I was still thrilled. I even remember telling her, “You know, I’ve never won anything like this in my life! Thank you for making my day!”), reading this website really helped ease my mind and soften the blow of the situation. Thanks again, Internet!
Happy marriage to you all! Life really is beautiful!
~Kristy